MAGGIE SCHERDER - MISSOURI

BIO

Maggie started swimming at age 8 and first competed on a summer team at age 9 in Peoria, Illinois. She swam all 4 years in high school and even had the opportunity to swim the 100 Backstroke her senior year at Sectionals. Maggie is the only swimmer with Down syndrome to qualify for the Citi World Para Series held in the USA. Her 100 Backstroke has met the stringent S14 classification qualifying time the past 3 years. 

Her first international competition was 2018 in Truro, Canada at the 9th DSISO World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships. She has also competed at DSISO events in Sardinia, Italy (2019) and Albufeira, Portugal (2022). Maggie’s first Virtus Global Games appearance was 2023 in Vichy, France.

She currently trains with the Rec Plex Sharks in St. Peters, Missouri.

Medals/Records include:
• Virtus Global Games = 3x Gold 
• DSISO Regional & World Championship = 5x Gold, 10x Silver, 6x Bronze
• Has broken 54 DSISO records: World Open – 1; World Junior – 1; World Senior – 12; Americas Open – 15; Americas Junior – 9; Americas Senior – 16 
• Currently the only USA swimmer to hold a DSISO World Open record (50 LCM Backstroke)
• US Paralympic Nationals = 1x Gold; 1x Bronze (S14 Relays)